Server: Netscape-Commerce/1.12
Date: Tuesday, 26-Nov-96 00:07:17 GMT
Last-modified: Friday, 18-Aug-95 18:01:08 GMT
Content-length: 3262
Content-type: text/html

<!doctype html public "-//W30//DTD W3 HTML 2.0//EN">

<HTML>
<TITLE>ADVANCED NETWORK ARCHITECTURE GROUP</TITLE>
<center><!WA0><A HREF="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/anaweb/ANA_Home.html"><!WA1><img src="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/ana/analine.gif"></a></center>
<p>
<center>
<table border>
<tr>
	<td><!WA2><IMG SRC=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/ana/clark.gif></td>
	
	<td> <!WA3><IMG SRC=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/ana/jtw.gif></td>
	<td> <!WA4><IMG SRC=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/ana/sollins.gif></td>
</tr>
<tr>
	<td><address><b>David D. Clark</b>, <br>Senior Research <br>Scientist</address></d>
	
	<td><address><b>John T. Wroclawski</b>, <br>Research Scientist</address></td>
	<td><address><b>Karen R. Sollins</b>,<br>Research Scientist</address></td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<BODY>
<p>



The Advanced Network Architecture group defines network
protocols and methods for the information infrastructure of
the future. Guided by "real-world" requirements, we intend
to influence all levels of network design through
engineering studies, prototype development, and observation
of existing networks.
<p>

The group's Information Mesh project, for example, is
developing a network infrastructure that finds and relates
information, rather than simply moving it around. In this
view, the network-application interface accesses a global
"mesh" of data and relationships that may be reviewed,
searched, and manipulated. Individual data elements are
controlled through specified access and use policies. The
infrastructure presents a uniform interface through
mechanisms that locate, retrieve, and smoothly integrate
these data.


<p>
Naming and linking architectures are critical to the mesh
design. The former, based on a model similar to that of
human society, uses hints and locality to handle trillions
of objects whose lifetimes range from seconds to centuries.
The linking architecture, meanwhile, captures the web of
relationships that grows as information is used.



<p>
Tomorrow's networks also will demand better management of
bandwidth and buffering resources. This is crucial to the
development of integrated service networks, which combine
telephony, data, and entertainment. We have proposed a new
network service model (with appropriate algorithms) that
offers high-quality service for a wide range of
applications. The Integrated Services Internet project, a
collaboration of several research organizations, is
currently developing standards and techniques to deploy
this model on the Internet.
<p>
Network protocol designers also must provide higher
performance, security, and flexibility. Our Application
Level Framing protocol framework meets these demands by
separating the protocol processing unit (used for error
recovery, flow control, and similar management functions)
from the multiplexing unit (used to place data on the
communication channel). The separation leads to a simple,
modular style of protocol design in which each application
uses only the required functions. Results include improved
performance and a better match with the demands of evolving
applications.
<p>

The group collaborates with academic and industrial
partners and participates in such efforts as ARPA's DARTnet
project and the Aurora gigabit testbed.


</BODY>
<p>
<!WA5><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/contents.html"><!WA6><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/contents_motif.gif></a>
<!WA7><a href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/psr/psr.html"><!WA8><img align=left src=http://www.lcs.mit.edu/web_project/Brochure/icons/next_group_motif.gif></a>

</HTML>
